theres a strange crux on the horizon. either scientology will get some credibility bcause there is a movie about it. or cruise will finally put the last nail on the coffin burying his career once and for all. seriously this scares me because i know what sheep people are. imagine if this was a summer blockbuster? there would be all the smart people aka us, then all the stupid out there (like the ones that think the government is poisening tooth paste to keep them poor), which group do you REALLY think out numbers whom?

Huh.

Well, I've made plans to pack what I can carry and drive Pak and myself as far into Mexico as possible if this thing goes blockbuster. Anyone with me? We'll form a convoy.

What really gets me is I recall Tom saying something to the effect that Scientology was closer to being a philosophy than an actual religion. IE: something to plug into your religion. As a Christian, I've done everything possible to figure out how Scientology could possible plug into mine and I can't come up with anything remotely sane to function by in that regard. In fact, I think I would be taken to a mental institute, or live alone in a trailer park with 50 cats.

Any collection of unlikely stories people put blind faith in is the same as any other to me. I don't see what's so bad about having another voice get their chance to spread the word also the anti-Cruise bandwagon is already been and gone.

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"A thing I like that there was no chance would ever continue until recently is now continuing but it doesn't meet my exact personal specifications so fuck this"

eh the problem with your statement is it can be applied to anything, not just religion. when you talk about any blind belief (and there are more of them than most people are willing to admit) it becomes sad. but blind belief and belief in something that is not true are still and always will be two different things.

Just something to think about before you ever decide you know what is real and what isnt.

I don't think all religious faith is blind. Even though something can't be empirically proven, that doesn't mean the faithful person is blind. There's more to faith than what you can prove. That's why they call it faith. The faithful, the truly faithful, will tell you what they see and what feel that "proves" these things to them everyday. You may have a different explanation but it doesn't mean their faith is blind.

There is such a thing as blind disbelief too. Discounting something just because you personally don't experience is just as bad as believing in something just because you're told to. Life is sometimes not black and white or right or wrong. Even science with its empiric proofs and facts is hardly ever black and white.

To each his own. Even believers in Scientology probably have some good points

I'd say the major difference between Scientology and Christianity is that the latter neither brainwashes its converts nor has a mandatory pay scheme to reach different levels of enlightenment.

As anyone who's read the premarital sex thread will know, I'm not a big fan of any organized religion, but there are degrees even there, and Scientology goes beyond just organized religion and straight into cult territory by any reasonable criteria.

The methods used by Scientology to attract people, to break their will and to keep them in the movement coupled with the strongarm tactics used to keep people from exposing their ludicrous beliefs make them a far worse entity than almost any other major "church". (quotes because I don't think Scientology qualifies)

It's a destructive and authoritarian movement that has no scruples about how it handles itself or what it does to people.

The methods used by Scientology to attract people, to break their will and to keep them in the movement coupled with the strongarm tactics used to keep people from exposing their ludicrous beliefs make them a far worse entity than almost any other major "church". (quotes because I don't think Scientology qualifies)

Scientology is a "church" because the thousands of court decisions all over the world say so!

I don't think all religious faith is blind. Even though something can't be empirically proven, that doesn't mean the faithful person is blind. There's more to faith than what you can prove. That's why they call it faith. The faithful, the truly faithful, will tell you what they see and what feel that "proves" these things to them everyday. You may have a different explanation but it doesn't mean their faith is blind.

There is such a thing as blind disbelief too.

this is essentially what my previous post was trying to get at. Thats why i had changed the word from faith to belief.

It REALLY doesnt happen too much on this board (thank God) but i cant stand when others completely belittle others opinion based on the idea that those said others belittle other peoples opinions. Example. I cant stand those holier than thou Hindus they think they are so special ust because they dont eat meat, damn prudes.

While i dont think i have ever heard or seen anyone actually say that it illustrates my point. the person who hates the hindus is equally as guilty as any hindu who looks down on meat eaters. Its dumb position to say you dislike someone because THEY look down others. Its contradictory.

I'd say the major difference between Scientology and Christianity is that the latter neither brainwashes its converts nor has a mandatory pay scheme to reach different levels of enlightenment.

As anyone who's read the premarital sex thread will know, I'm not a big fan of any organized religion, but there are degrees even there, and Scientology goes beyond just organized religion and straight into cult territory by any reasonable criteria.

The methods used by Scientology to attract people, to break their will and to keep them in the movement coupled with the strongarm tactics used to keep people from exposing their ludicrous beliefs make them a far worse entity than almost any other major "church". (quotes because I don't think Scientology qualifies)

It's a destructive and authoritarian movement that has no scruples about how it handles itself or what it does to people.

I haven't agreed with most things you've said on the boards, Teaflax, but I agree with this. Beautifully stated.

As a sidenote, I'm really wondering how an entire church can be built on a "philosophy" (as Tom Cruise puts it). I know technically that Scientology is as much a philosophy as my pet turtle is a philosopher, but I'm wondering how they get away with marketing themselves that way so easily, unless the whole of society lacks the knowledge to tell the difference.

I suppose one could believe in thetans and what-not and still believe in God, but if you're really familiar with your faith, there's a lot about the "philosophy" that'll make you scratch your head.

That reminds me, in the orientation video, the Scientology folks believe you don't have to change your faith when you participate in the Scientology Religion, yet, in the case of Christianity, it's kinda hard to put your faith in God and the writings/teachings of a man who created his own religion in the 1950s.